Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed claims that its 2027 presidential ticket has been zoned to the South-East.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party clarified that comments attributed to its National Chairman, Julius Abure, were misinterpreted.

“Labour Party is a national party with a broad support base across the country, and as such, the issue of zoning does not arise,” the statement read.

Ifoh explained that Abure had only urged South-East members at a gathering on Saturday to engage other regions in building political alliances to enhance their chances of securing the presidency.

He cited the Yoruba political bloc’s success in past elections as an example of how strategic realignments could improve electoral prospects.

“In the 2023 general elections, the party secured victories in both northern and southern states, and we are working to surpass that achievement in future elections,” Ifoh added.

He emphasized that all candidates would emerge through a competitive and democratic process, as the party’s constitution does not support zoning.

“We regret the misinterpretation of our party’s position by a section of the media. The Labour Party was quoted out of context,” the statement said.

The LP fielded former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, where he finished third behind President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A military airstrike targeting bandits mistakenly killed six people in Yauni Community, Zakka Ward, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Security sources confirmed to Channels Television on Monday that the victims, all from the same family, included three children, a man, and two women.

The incident occurred following Saturday’s local government elections, after security operatives attempted to prevent a planned bandit attack on voters in Zakka village.

Eyewitnesses reported that security forces, including the police and members of the State Community Watch Corps (CWC), engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle. Two police officers and a CWC operative were killed on the spot, while another officer later succumbed to injuries.

Following the clash, a military fighter jet was deployed for reinforcement but mistakenly dropped a bomb on Yauni Community, located in the southern part of Zakka village.

“As a result of this, we lost our men in the gun battle. Another woman was also left injured,” an eyewitness said.

Military and government authorities have yet to comment on the incident.

Similar incidents have occurred in the past. In July 2022, a military airstrike mistakenly killed at least two people in Kunkunni village, also in Safana LGA. Earlier in the year, an airstrike in Zamfara State mistakenly killed 16 people, including members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard (ZCPG), local vigilantes, and residents.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, has released the results of the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates, second series.

The examination, conducted between October 25 and December 20, 2024, introduced a new computer-based hybrid mode alongside the traditional paper-and-pen option.

In a statement on Sunday, WAEC’s Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola F. Adesina, disclosed that 65,023 candidates sat for the examination across 5,067 centres nationwide, representing a 20% decline from the previous year.

According to WAEC, 95.9% of the results have been fully processed and released, enabling most candidates to access their scores without delay.

A performance analysis showed that 53.64% of candidates obtained five credits, including English and Mathematics, reflecting a 9.35% increase from the 2023 results.

However, WAEC withheld the results of 2,577 candidates (3.96%) over alleged examination malpractice. Affected candidates have been advised to visit the council’s official portal to address their cases.

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday granted an application by former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to amend her suit challenging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) final forfeiture order on her seized assets.

Justice Inyang Ekwo approved the request after Diezani’s lawyer, Godwin Inyinbor, moved the motion, which EFCC counsel Divine Oguru did not oppose.

During the proceedings, Inyinbor informed the court that the motion to amend the originating process had been filed and duly served on the defendant.

Granting the application, Justice Ekwo directed the former minister to file and serve the amended processes within five days, while the EFCC was given 14 days to respond. The case was adjourned to March 17 for further mention.

Alison-Madueke, through her lead counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is challenging the public sale of her forfeited properties. She contends that the forfeiture orders were issued without jurisdiction and violated her right to a fair hearing, as guaranteed under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

The court had initially scheduled November 21, 2024, to hear the motion before granting the amendment request on Monday.

The former minister argues that she was never served with a charge sheet, proof of evidence, or any summons regarding the criminal charges against her. She further claims that the courts were misled into granting the forfeiture orders due to the suppression or non-disclosure of key information.

“The applications that led to the final forfeiture orders were based on serious misstatements, misrepresentations, and concealment of material facts,” she stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the EFCC had secured multiple forfeiture orders against Alison-Madueke’s assets, which were subsequently auctioned by the federal government.

Tensions ran high at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday following the alleged illegal removal of Speaker Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) took control of the assembly complex, preventing newly appointed Speaker Mojisola Meranda from accessing her office for over an hour.

In a show of solidarity, lawmakers and assembly staff gathered in protest before forcefully entering the chamber.

Watch the ensuing video below.

A legal battle has erupted over the Alaafin of Oyo throne as Prince Lukman Gbadegesin has filed a lawsuit challenging the appointment of Prince Akeem Owoade as the new Alaafin.

Gbadegesin, a contender for the revered stool, submitted his suit at the Oyo State High Court on February 12, 2025, seeking to annul Owoade’s appointment, which he claims violates the Chiefs Law of Oyo State, 2000, and the Registered Alaafin Chieftaincy Declaration of 1961.

Through his counsel, Kunle Sobaloju (SAN), Gbadegesin is also requesting an injunction to prevent Owoade from assuming the throne or performing any royal duties.

The lawsuit names Governor Seyi Makinde, the Attorney General of Oyo State, and 11 others as defendants, with a 30-day window to respond.

In his legal filing, Gbadegesin argues that Governor Makinde’s approval of Owoade’s selection within five days was “unlawful, unconstitutional, invalid, null, and void.” He asserts that the Oyomesi, the traditional kingmakers, had already chosen him as the rightful heir before the governor’s decision.

“The selection of the fourth defendant as the Alaafin of Oyo was carried out to the exclusion of rightful kingmakers who were neither suspended nor removed,” Gbadegesin stated.

He is asking the court to recognize his nomination as valid and affirm that the kingmakers’ selection process should be upheld. Additionally, he seeks an order compelling the governor to approve his appointment as Alaafin, as recommended by the Oyomesi and the Agunloye Ruling House.

Gbadegesin is also requesting an injunction to bar the recognition of Owoade as Alaafin and halt any financial benefits or stipends attached to the office.

The legal action follows a pre-action notice from his legal team to the governor, highlighting alleged violations of the state’s chieftaincy laws.

Despite the ongoing dispute, the Oyo State Government has moved forward with preparations for Owoade’s coronation, with a committee already convening.

Governor Makinde formally announced Owoade’s appointment on January 13, 2024, and presented him with the staff of office. The move ended a two-year vacancy following the passing of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III in 2022.

During the ceremony, Governor Makinde warned that any individuals found guilty of accepting bribes during the selection process would face legal consequences.

The Oyomesi, led by High Chief Yusuf Akínade, Bashorun of Oyo, and other traditional chiefs, have expressed dissatisfaction with the selection process. In a letter dated January 14, 2025, addressed to the governor and signed by their legal representative, Adekunle Sobaloju (SAN), they raised concerns about statements undermining their integrity.

The court is expected to hear the case in the coming weeks as the tussle over the Alaafin stool intensifies.

Tensions escalated in Osun State on Monday as clashes between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led to gunfire, leaving two people reportedly shot in Boripe Local Government Area.

The crisis followed the resumption of reinstated local government executives, a move that has sparked a dispute between Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola. The reinstatement was ordered by the Court of Appeal, allowing the sacked APC executives to return to office.

According to reports, APC executives resumed office early in the day, celebrating their return and asserting their control over the council. However, as they exited the premises, they were ambushed by PDP members, resulting in a violent confrontation that saw two people injured.

Security operatives from the Amotekun Corps arrived at the scene but faced resistance from APC members.

In Osogbo, APC supporters took control of the council secretariat in the Oke-Baale area, but the intervention of Governor Adeleke’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Muniru Raji, led to resistance. Later, Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, mobilized more PDP members, forcing the APC supporters out amid gunfire, leaving one person injured.

The unrest spread to other local government areas. In Ife Central, protests by PDP members against APC’s resumption caused a heavy gridlock along the Ibadan-Ikire Expressway. In Obokun, an uneasy calm prevailed as both party supporters gathered outside the locked council building.

In Irewole, PDP members prevented APC executives from resuming office by barricading the council premises. Meanwhile, in Ilesa East and Atakunmosa West, former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, and former lawmaker Babatunde Komolafe, respectively, led APC supporters into council offices.

In Olorunda, heightened security was observed at the council secretariat, where PDP supporters, led by Commissioner for Rural Development, Gani Olaoluwa, gathered in large numbers.

The situation remains tense across the affected councils as security forces monitor developments.

The Israeli government has pledged to deepen its collaboration with Nigeria in advancing healthcare services, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Michael Freeman, made this known in Abuja on Friday during the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Symposium. The event, themed “Bridging the Gap in Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary Surgery in Nigeria: Challenges and Strategies,” was organized by the Israeli Embassy in partnership with the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Health and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC).

Freeman said the initiative aims to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare sector, particularly in pancreatic disease treatment.

“When President Tinubu declared the Renewed Hope Agenda with health as a critical focus, we engaged Dr. Salma Anas, Special Adviser to the President on Health, to explore how Israel could contribute,” he said.

He noted that Israel deployed two leading surgeons to Nigeria, who performed four complex pancreas and liver surgeries during their visit.

Beyond pancreatic health, Freeman expressed optimism that the partnership would expand to include malaria treatment, eye care, and capacity building in the healthcare sector.

Dr. Anas described the collaboration as a crucial step in addressing liver and pancreatic diseases in Nigeria, stressing the importance of early detection to prevent complications such as cancer.

Medical Director of FMC, Prof. Saad Ahmed, commended the Israeli Embassy and Dr. Anas for selecting the centre as a hub for advancing healthcare services in Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government.

The President landed on Thursday night and was received at the airport by Ethiopian Deputy Chief of Protocol, Eshetu Legesse, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia, Ambassador Nasir Aminu.

Following his arrival, Ambassador Tuggar briefed President Tinubu on the summit agenda and Nigeria’s recent diplomatic achievements in the AU, in a session that lasted until 2 a.m. on Friday.

Among the key diplomatic wins was the re-election of Ambassador Bankole Adeoye as the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security. Additionally, Nigeria retained its seat on the AU Peace and Security Council, reinforcing what Ambassador Tuggar described as “Nigeria’s leadership and commitment to peace and security on the continent.”

Several members of Tinubu’s delegation attended the briefing, including Minister of Finance Wale Edun, Minister of Defence Abubakar Badaru, Minister of Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, Minister of Information and National Orientation Muhammed Idris, Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal, and Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka-Anite.

The theme of this year’s AU Summit is “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”, with discussions centered on reparatory justice and racial healing.

President Tinubu is expected to deliver a speech at the summit-level meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, where deliberations will focus on pressing security challenges in Africa, including the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The President is scheduled to return to Abuja on Monday, February 17.